This invention discloses an ornamental fountain wherein a fountain nozzle is made to discharge a pressurized stream of liquid, and a shutter prevents or allows the stream to exit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,086 granted Nov. 3, 1992 is directed to a lighted laminar flow nozzle for use in decorative water fountains and industrial applications. It includes fluid flow through a double-walled bladder-like fluid supply hose 32 into a fluid chamber 10 and through a diffuser material 20, past trapped air pockets 18 and exiting through a knife edged orifice 12. The fluid nozzle is mounted upon one or more stages of vibration dampening springs 30, and the outlet orifice 12 is located off center from the walls 11 of the fluid chamber so that pump surges and vibrations are greatly dampened and the output fluid stream 14 is sufficiently laminar that light is conducted through the length of the output fluid stream 14 similar to a fiber optic cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,120 granted Jun. 24, 1997 is an improvement on the first described U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,086. This U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,120 includes an improved method and apparatus for obtaining a laminar stream of fluid flow including providing a generally cylindrical outer wall 13a, a generally cylindrical inner wall 14 defining a generally cylindrical outer chamber 13; introducing fluid into the outer chamber 13 tangentially at 12, directing fluid flow within the outer chamber circumferentially through chamber 13, providing an inner chamber 36 defined by the generally cylindrical inner wall located within or below the outer chamber 13. An opening 33 is formed in the lower portion of the inner cylindrical wall 14, which causes fluid to flow downwardly through the opening 33 from the outer chamber 13 into the inner chamber 36. Located within the inner chamber is a diffuser material having a plurality of parallel fluid flow paths. Fluid is caused to flow through the diffuser material to dampen major currents of fluid velocity. The diffuser material has an arcuate upper surface 84. Fluid is caused to flow radially inwardly from the arcuate surface through an orifice 20 located above the diffuser material to form a laminar fluid stream.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,617 granted Oct. 21, 1997, discloses a device located below a bar or counter whereby when the patron or guest orders a drink, the bartender or host places the drinking glass upon a designated location on the top of the bar or counter. Unknown to the patron or guest, the bartender activates a hidden control. The drink then appears to hop from some remote spot on the bar, take one or more leaps, and ultimately lands in the patron or guest""s glass.
In FIGS. 1-1B a shutter is used to control the flow of a water stream with a solenoid controlled shutter.
This invention discloses an ornamental fountain wherein a fountain nozzle 11 is made to discharge a pressurized stream of water, 12. The nozzle is placed behind a cover 10 with an exit aperture 1, and a shutter 2 prevents or allows the stream, 12, to exit, according to its rotational position around shaft, 9, and bearing, 15. The opening and closing of said shutter, 2, is controlled by armature, 3, with its tip, 14, composed of iron or other magnetic material. The armature, 3, is affixed to the rotational shaft, 9. The armature magnetic tip, 14, is positioned in close proximity to electromagnets 4, 5, 6 and 7 with their magnetic cores, 13, mounted on cover 10, such that the armature, 3, stays positioned against bumper, 8, whenever electromagnet, 4, remains activated.
Consequently shutter 2 continues to block the exit port 1 and no water is discharged. By de-activating electromagnet, 4, and then sequentially activating electromagnet 5, then, 6, and then 7, the armature, 3, is made to rotate upon shaft, 9, and the shutter, 2, which is affixed to shaft 9 at 2a will move so that it is no longer blocking exit orifice, 1, and the stream will traverse through exit aperture 1 in the direction, 12. So long as pressurized water is made to flow from nozzle 11 and electromagnet, 7, remains energized, then the armature, 3, will remain positioned against bumper, 16, FIG. 3, and water will continue flowing in direction, 12. In order to stop the flow 12, electromagnet, 7, is deenergized and electromagnets 6, 5 and 4 are energized in sequence to move the armature, 3, in the direction of bumper, 8, to close shutter 2. In an alternate embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the exit aperture, 1, the shutter, 2, and the rotating shaft, 9, are the same as in the previous embodiment. However, the means of rotating the shaft and opening the shutter utilize a plunger type electrical solenoid, 17, which retracts a plunger, 18, which is attached by a pin, 21, to a lever, 19, to overcome the force of a tension spring, 20, whenever the solenoid is electrically actuated as shown in FIG. 4. Upon de-activating the solenoid, as shown in FIG. 5, the force of the tension spring, 20, pulls the lever, 19, to withdraw the plunger, 18, rotate the shaft, 9, and close the shutter, 2.